PHENOMINAL!

This is my new favorite photographer..please take the time to look at his website..specifically An American Self Portrait. Chris Jordan

This song is getting me through finals

Everybody Daylight by Brightblack Morning Daylight

I'm Freezing My Toukas Off!

For some insane reason I let my friend Tatiana convince me to think that it would be a good idea to run a 5k this Sunday....what was I thinking!? I decided today of all days to start preparing for Sunday....again what was I thinking!? I was having another particularly wonderful morning and said "What the hell I'll go for a run...it's kinda snowing, but it looks nice." So I bundled in my long johns, scarf, hat, gloves, hoodie, and bounded out of the doors into the Arctic!
I continuously told myself that I wasn't cold...that I was actually enjoying the cold gloomy day. I have to say that lying to myself worked. I was able to put the cold behind me and enjoy the day.

I started to think about nature, the seasons, weather etc. I am very good at appreciating the spring flowers, soaking in the sun in the summer, and thoroughly enjoying every aspect of my favorite season, fall. I have always HATED winter. It's dead, gloomy, cold, gray, frigid, gelid, nippy, expired, smoky..did I mention cold. Today was different though, I actually tried to find some good in winter. I feel that we need to appreciate every aspect of life...even the parts we hate. As I was running the snow began to fall faster and in bigger flakes. They were flying in my eyes and attaching themselves to my hat. In that moment I realized the real reason I don't like winter. I don't like it because I have to actually take the time out of my busy day to look for something beautiful. During the spring flowers and trees are growing, budding, popping right out at you. Summer..well is summer..colors are vivacious, and again popping out at you. The fall has magnificent leaves, temperatures, smells, feelings..it's hard not to fall in love...no pun intended. We like to be lazy and have beautiful things find their way to us instead of seeking them out. Winter is a wonderful season because it breaks us out of the monotonous routine. Winter helps us remember that WE ARE LIVING! We need to wake up and start realizing the things around us.

With that said...go outside...right now...I know it's cold..but do it.
Walk around for as long as it takes for you to not only find something beautiful, but that makes you think...makes you feel.

Gram-Cracker

Yesterday was my Grandmother's (Gram-cracker as I like to call her) 93rd birthday. It's amazing the health she is in..good vision, sharp mind, a little hard of hearing but other than that wonderful health..she's a little firecracker. She told me all about her day spent with her seniors group....and she is most certainly their senior. They gobbled down a turkey feast, talked, laughed, and sang happy birthday (which was a huge surprise for her). "The phone hasn't stopped ringing, I feel like a celebrity." Well, to me she is a celebrity. She has seen and experienced more than anyone could ever imagine. She is so wise and...funny! I love hearing the things that come out of her mouth. The things that woman knows are astounding!

Going back to the conversations we had with Eustace on Tuesday..we talked about how our society places so much importance on being youthful and beautiful. To me the most beautiful thing is my Grandma. Like the rings on a tree to show their age she has wrinkles, she has thick thick thick wavy white/gray hair, her back is hunched (she has shrunk 7 inches), I feel that is so she can bring herself to our level, she has knobby hands to show the work that she has done, and a cute little laugh...quite a youthful laugh actually. Her wisdom is by far the most beautiful thing about her.
Today we don't trust or honor our elders and we certainly don't look to them for advice like we should. We look to other youths for advice and guidance and end up even more lost. Elderly people have the answers. I really feel that the youth of today are missing out on something great. Our culture has it so backwards...age, wisdom, and experience are things that are beautiful.
When I get old to be 93 I hope I have lots of wrinkles, lots of stories and I hope I shrink so I can humble myself to the new generation's level.

Another fantastic day has occurred!

Tonight I had the opportunity to see Eustace Conway speak. For those of you who don't know who Eustace is.. he is a man that has stepped out of our world and into the real world...nature. To name a few things he has done...lived in a tepee...rode cross country on horseback...kayaked across Alaska...accumulated thousands of acres in North Carolina where he runs a camp (Turtle Island) endured physical pain..and overcome what many said he could not do. He truly is "The Last American Man."

I feel so inspired after tonight's talk that I am completely speechless. I am having a very difficult time trying to put into words how I am feeling. The first thing I thought about after he was done talking was "I really want to hug him." I didn't have anything to say to him that he hasn't already heard before...I just wanted to hug him and say "thank you!" So I got out of my seat and finally got the courage to approach him...no I didn't get to hug him but I did shake his hand. Tomorrow will be a continuation of tonight's talk and I am really looking forward to it.

There have been many parts from the book and things that he said tonight that will have an everlasting impact on how I view the world around me, but something that really stuck with me is his simple statement, "When I see something I don't like or see something that is wrong, I change it." So simple. There are so many things in the world that are wrong and that I don't like and rather than complaining about it I need to just change it. Walk out the door and change it.

Things are beginning to pop into my head now from tonight's talk. Two things he also talked about...#1.death #2.role models.
So many of us are afraid to do what Eustace is doing because we are scared to die. What if we can't survive on our own? What if we aren't as strong as Eustace? What if we get sick? One of the many differences between Eustace and other Americans is the fact that he is not afraid of death. He is not scared to be extreme or to put himself in those situations. This sparked a question in my mind...am I afraid to die?...my answer is no. I know that I have only been on this earth for 2 decades, but looking over the course of those 2 decades and even over the course of the past 2 years I have accomplished a lot. I am happy and content with my life and I know that if I died tomorrow I would have lived a fulfilling life. I love my life and I am completely pleased with every aspect of it. I think that Americans need to open their eyes and truly start living. We need to be grateful for everything around us...notice the small stuff...the trees...smells...feelings...smiles...warm weather...cold weather...clouds ...sounds...laughter. If we begin to recognize everything around us we are able to gain a better appreciation of life.

He also talked about role models and how important they are for us have. I started thinking of role models in my life and the first three that came to my mind were
#1. Jesus
#2. Eustace Conway
#3. My brother Kurt
These three role models have had a huge impact on my life thus far. I know there are many more, but these three are at the top of the list.

These are just a few thoughts...I am quite tired and am probably not making very much sense ...so I will leave you with this...have you changed something today? Have you helped someone today?...if not I encourage you to do so tomorrow.. peace love and goodnight!

meep.

The Axoloti is my new favorite animal.

Empowered.

I am floating....My mind..my heart...my spirit is breaking through my skin and being released through my hands..my feet..my head and slowly lifting my body off the ground. I am shaking with excitement...I have butterflies tickling the lining of my stomach...I am laughing out loud! It is raining and cold...I don't care.I am happy...empowered...inspired...hopeful.

I just experienced probably one of the best hour and 30 minutes of class time that I have ever experienced in my life.
The class was all about Art Activism.
Naomi Natale (age 24 at the time) had a vision, after spending time in Kenya, to raise awareness and money for orphans in Africa. She turned her vision into a project called The Cradle Project. Asking artists from around the world to create cradles out of used materials she created an event that raised $90,000 for orphans. Now 26, she is currently working on her next project
1 million bones (which I am going try to help with).
After leaving class I felt so inspired and so happy to know that it truly is possible to execute what I want to do with my life. It was as if someone dumped a bucket of hope all over me. I almost jumped out of my seat screaming with excitement! "I KEE KEE KA!"...as Celine Dion would say.

So whadda ya say....how about we change the world!?

Keep Breathing

The storm is coming but I don't mind
People are dying, I close my blinds

All that I know is I'm breathing now

I want to change the world
Instead I sleep
I want to believe in more than you and me

But all that I know is I'm breathing
All I can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing now

All that I know is I'm breathing
All I can do is keep breathing.
All we can do is keep breathing

All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing now

-Ingrid Michaelson

"Excuse me...where's the washroom?"

THE OUTSIDE

THE INSIDE

A song that I have on repeat

"...Out of relative obscurity, discover the mission, fulfill it or abandon it"

There have been 2 moments in my 2 decades on this earth when I have felt a real connection to my country. #1 being September 11 #2 today. It's another beautiful 70 degree day in Chicago, something that never occurs in November, so I decided to go for a run. Grant Park has been gated off from Roosevelt to Monroe, Michigan to Lakeshore. I ran the perimeter of the Park and observed the people, the media, and the security. People are walking, laughing, talking, and participating. There has been so much hype about riots and the possibility of deaths that it's refreshing to see people happy and relaxed.

The whole notion of rioting seems completely ridiculous to me.
I truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason. I have lived by this thought process since I was young a child and I feel this same way about the election...no matter who wins. It will be a great and exciting time in America's history if Obama wins, but if he doesn't win his goals for change don't have to stop with the end of the election. We live in a Democratic nation...that means we the people have power. Why are we relying on one person to change everything? Change begins within each one of us. As a nation we should be united and work toward the change we want to see...we can't always wait around for a revolutionary figure to come along. If we riot tonight, if we get upset that just means we are giving up on change. Wouldn't Barack want this night to be peaceful and just? If people fight, or kill they are abandoning everything Obama says he stands for and makes me question if they ever really believed in what he preaches.
So for tonight I challenge America to be adults, to be responsible, respectful, peaceful, and begin creating change.

Peace and Love

How to make A Perfect Monday

Ingredients
1.Refreshingly crystal blue sky (better to have too much than not enough)
2.Crushed dried leaves (adds texture and aroma)
3.A large amount of sunshine (this will warm you up on any day)
4.A dash of fresh yellow leaves (they complement the crystal blue sky quite nicely. A perfect finishing touch)
5.Must be prepared at 70 degrees
6.last but not least...a book and some music! (Shine by Trey Anastasio, Blue skies, by Jaymay, New York City by Moe, or November Blue by the Avett Brothers will do just fine)

First you must preheat this day to 70 degrees. Then you take any Monday in November, preferably the first one and be sure to check your email for any unexpected class cancellations. When you have checked on the class cancellations you take a book and your listening device to a perfect fall setting. This could be a park, a lake, or any old picnic table. Be sure to have your face in the direction of the sun (this is quite necessary). Now sit or lay back onto the leaves and dive into that refreshingly crystal blue sky. Close your eyes. Now breath in. Do you smell the aroma?!....If not you should move closer to a tree. Now open your eyes and look at the yellow leaves to see how they compliment the blue. Benissimo! Go ahead....scream benissimo and sigh in satisfaction. You have just created A Perfect Monday!
Enjoy.